In the preceding chapters, the Committee explored the many commercial and environmental benefits that may be derived from the utilisation of native species.
The Committee found that a number of environmental issues must be addressed, and safeguards applied, to ensure that utilisation of native flora meets the ecological sustainability objectives of the ESD framework. These issues are reviewed in this chapter. For each issue, the ecological principles involved are described.
Issues considered are:
a) risks to ecological processes;
b) risks to biodiversity;
c) potential impacts of utilisation; and
d) issues arising from the modification of ecosystems.
Though the issues raised in this chapter are many, the Committee does not believe that they are insurmountable. They do, however, consider that the utilisation of native flora and fauna should proceed with caution. The Committee also notes that these issues are no greater than (and possibly less than) those facing conventional primary production using exotic species.
A number of case studies are included to give a sense of the complexity of these environmental issues associated with the utilisation of native flora and fauna. They are:
a) kangaroo harvesting;
b) trade between zoos; and
c) tree-fern harvesting.
Finally the Committee considers briefly the challenge presented by limits to knowledge of the species and systems being utilised
